Improvement in veneer-cutting machines



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S. D. CARPENTER. Veneer Cutting-Machines.

Patented March 31, 1874.

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S. D. CARPENTER. Veneer Cutting-Machines."

N0.\49,028. 'Pate-nted March 31,1874.

r www UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

sTErEEN D. CARPENTER, 20E MADISON, wrscoNsiN.

IMPROVEMENT |N vENEER-cUTTlNe MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 149,028, dated March31, 1874; application filed September 5, 1873. g

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, STEPHEN D. CAEPEN TER, of Madison, in the county ofDane and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain Improvements invVeneer-Cutting Machines, of which the following is a specication:

My invention consists of a machine for cutting veneer or thin strips ofwood in a continuous sheet from the exterior of a log or block, andcutting it diagonally across the grain, as hereinafter more fullydescribed.

Figure l is a top-plan view of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation, partly in section; and Figs. 3 and 4 are transverse seotionson the lines yy and z z, respectively.

In constructing mymachine, I provide a suitable frame, A, having`mounted on it at one end a head-stock, carrying a cone-pulley, C,

lwith a pinion, a, gearing into a wheel, B, upon the shaft of whichlatter is mounted a chuck, E, forreceiving and securely holding the endof the stick to be cut, as shown in Figs. l and 2, the stick beingrotated with the chuck, after the manner of a lathe. Upon the bed orframe A, in suitable ways, Iy mount a slide, H, which carries thecutter-head F. The cutter-head is secured to the slide by means of twoinclined ribs, f, formed on the top of the slide, as shown in Figs. l,2, and 4, so that it can be removed by simply sliding it forward on theslide H, but is held securely from'moving in the opposite direction. Thecutter-head F is made in the form of a conical tube, and has a slit ormouth cut lengthwise along one side, in which is secured the cutter orknife y, which is held by bolts, so as to be set or adjusted to cut anyrequired thickness of material.' Upon the opposite side of the cutter issecured another cutter or curved knife, l, as seen in Figs. 1 and 4,which is arranged to cut in advance of the cutter-head, for the purposeof reducing the log or stick toa uniform size, and make it straight andtrue, so as to\ enter the cuttervhead without difliculty. To the slide His attached a cord, p, which 'passes over a pulley, c, at the oppositeend of the machine, and to which a weight, I, is attached, this servingto draw the slide with its cutter-head forward, and thus feed the knifealongas it cuts the strip from the rotating stick. Across the rear endof the frame is secured a shaft, having a small drum, e, on it, aroundwhich is coiled a cord, o, which has its opposite end secured. to theslide H. On this shaft is a bevel-gear, which engages with anotherbevel-wheel on a shaft, d, which extends along within the frame to itsopposite sid'e, where it has secured upon it a pinion, h, arranged to bethrown in and out of gear with the wheel B by means of a lever, b, asshown in Figs. 2 and 3, the object of which is to feed .the slide withits cutterhead back, after it has made its cut, the length of the stick,or at any time when necessary. It is obvious, however, that the ordinaryscrewfeed used on lathes may be substituted, if dcsired.

The object of making the cutter-head detachable from `the slide is toenable it to be removed `and another substituted for making a secondcut, after the first has traversed the length of the stick. In a largemachine, and with plenty of power, a series of these cutter-heads may beused at the same time, they being arranged t0 follow each other. In thatcase the slide H might be made long enough to hold several cutter-heads;but such an arrangement would not be advantageous,

' except when cutting from long logs, because each successive cutterwould have to stop far ther and farther from the end, and the one inadvance would have to be removed before the next could complete its cut.This form of cutter-head will hold the stick up to the knife, andprevent it from springing, thus insuring the cutting of an even anduniform sheet.

By making the cutter-head more or less conical, the angle at which thecut across the` grain is made may be varied at will. By these means I amenabled to cut a continuous strip of a width suitable for veneer, and tocut from straight-grained timber a veneer which shows the grain of thewood to good advantage. A machine constructed and operating on this planmay also be used to cut'strips of greater thickness, suitable for backsfor picture frames, mirrors, &c., and also to make small fruit-basikets, the conical form of the strip admirably fitting it for this latterpurpose.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- K l. The slidingconical cutterhead F, provided with the trimming-knife l and the cutAter g, constructed and arranged tooperate substantially as shown anddescribed.

2. In a Veneer-cutting machine, constructed;y and operated substantiallyas described, thel slide H, provided With a dovetaled recess, in

combination with the cutter-head F, provd ed with a corresponding baseto tin said recess, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, in a mach-ine for cutting meneer,0f the slide H withthe cord p, d

hay-ing a weight attached, Jrfhe cord o, drmn e, and shaft d, with itsshipping-lever b, all arranged to operate 'substantially as set forth.

STEPHEN D. CARPENTER.

W-i/cnesses:

W. C. DODGE, Jos. K. PLANT..

